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Wednesday, 23 March 2016

My First Jump - First Time Skydiving Tips

If you are considering skydiving and are deliberating on whether or not you should take the plunge then perhaps reading my experience may help you decide.

Tandem Skydive. PSST... this is how they do it now - with a babysitter! By Skydiving Parachutisme: Jef132 derivative work: Ximonic (Skydiving Parachutisme) [CC-BY-SA-3.0], Wikimedia Commons

How I Came To Jump Out Of An Aeroplane

You know how it goes. Your flatmate comes home one night with a great
idea and the next thing you know you're jumping out of an aeroplane!

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I mean, who doesn't love a bit of
excitement, right? Back then, in the early eighties, it was done as a
solo static line jump which means your chute pull is attached to a wire
that automatically pulls your chute open as you exit the plane. None of
this namby pamby tandem jump stuff where you are strapped to an
instructor who does everything for you while talking calming thoughts to
you for us.

We were the tough. We were the brave. Well, you can see for yourself just how brave I was....

My First Jump - The Idea. How it came about

It was during my early flat-sharing days. I was co-habiting with
two men and a lady in a large house in one of Sydney’s leafy Northern
Beaches suburbs. One of the young men, Pete was also a work colleague. I
was to discover while sharing the bills with these three that they were
into extreme sports and trying out new things.

Pete and Chris were already certified Scuba divers and would flit off from time to time
to throw themselves into the deep. They skied and rode horses, they
abseiled and grass-skied. One evening, Chris came home from work and suggested we all go take parachuting lessons.

Wha….. ??????

Hold on. Run that by me again. Parachute lessons. You know, skydiving.
Actually, I preferred it when you called it parachuting. You really
can’t avoid the literal when you call it skydiving.
"No, really, it’s easy. We just go into the city a couple of times and practice landing."

First Time Skydiving Tips: Capture Every Amazing Moment!

With one-step recording these easy to use hands-free cameras are waterproof and super tough so even if you crash land in a pond your footage will be safe!

First Time Skydiving Tips: Practice Your Landing Rolls

Actually, if you are making a tandem jump you won't need to do this. In fact your jump buddy probably won't thank you if you do attempt to roll on landing with him attached. But back when I made my first jump knowing how to land was essential.

I still don’t know how they convinced me. A few weeks later here we
all were, assembled in a small room on the third floor of an office
building in the centre of Sydney; a more unlikely place I could not
imagine. The instructor took us through the theory first which consisted
of statistical information like how fast you plummet, how long it takes
for you to reach planet earth, what happens if you hit power lines,
stuff like that. Then we donned our suits and chutes so we would know
which buckle went where and what handle was for what.

The climax
of the evening was climbing up onto desks and jumping into practice
rolls. That’s the part where all the gigglling started because you could
briefly forget that you were actually in rehearsal to hurl yourself out
of an airplane at 2,000 feet all by yourself relying solely on a metal
thread to open your single link with life for you. We all looked quite
ridiculous.

The session concluded with our date set for our first jump and several alcoholic beverages in a nearby establishment.

My First Jump - The Jump. The day had arrived!

It was one of those crisp cool autumn mornings. We had an hour’s travel to reach the airfield at a place called Wilton to the south-west of Sydney.

By the time we reached the small shed where we were to assemble there was a heavy dew and an early morning mist as the sun started to brighten the tree tops.

&

It was a glorious pre-dawn the day we set out to throw ourselves into nothing from a fast-moving object 2,000 feet above the earth.

It was one of those crisp cool autumn mornings. We had an hour’s travel to reach the airfield at a place called Wilton to the south-west of Sydney.

By the time we reached the small shed where we were to assemble there was a heavy dew and an early morning mist as the sun started to brighten the tree tops.

&

&

I admit I remember very little of the
pre-jump instruction I was given as I was climbing into my jump-suit. I
can tell you nothing about packing my chute, putting it on, putting on
my helmet or closing and clasping buckles and ties although I must have
done all those things. I also admit that I remember nothing about
walking out onto the airstrip to climb into the tiny aircraft that would
take me on this insane journey. I remember exiting the plane. I
remember counting – one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four
thousand, then being yanked upward as I felt the tug of the opening
chute. I remember looking around at the incredible sight below me. Tiny
little buildings and toy cars. The dots I suppose were people.

Somehow, I managed to do all the right things and make an almost perfect landing.

THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My First Jump - Afterwards: The Epilogue

We knew that if we took our second jump today it would only be an extra $17.

I knew that this is the only time ever I would be enticed to do a second jump. I still had the adrenalin pumping through my body. I was still shaking. My legs were still wobbly even after the 200 metre hike back from where I had landed to the aerodrome shed.

Yes! That was exhilarating! Yes, that was the most incredible thing I had ever done but somehow I already knew that this was not going to become my passion.

&

LET’S GO AGAIN! LET’S DO IT AGAIN! That wasn’t me, that was Chris.

We knew that if we took our second jump today it would only be an extra $17.

I knew that this is the only time ever I would be enticed to do a second jump. I still had the adrenalin pumping through my body. I was still shaking. My legs were still wobbly even after the 200 metre hike back from where I had landed to the aerodrome shed.

Yes! That was exhilarating! Yes, that was the most incredible thing I had ever done but somehow I already knew that this was not going to become my passion.

&

&

My Second Jump

They convinced me to go up again. I think the impressions of my
fingers clinging to the open doorway of the plane are probably still there.
The instructor ended up having to push me out of the plane.

I
forgot to count. I piloted badly. I ended up in the bushes about a
kilometre from the shed. It wasn’t pretty. I think during my second jump
I found my fear.

I can honestly say that this is the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done.

One Time Experience or A New Interest?

For me, once was enough. Exhilirating? Yes! Memorable? Absolutely! Would I take it up as a hobby? No, never. But you may feel completely different. For a small number of people, skydiving won't be simply an experience. It will become a passion. If this is you then at some point you want to get your own Skydiving Rig.

What's The Most Extreme Thing You've Done? Did this inspire you to take your first jump?

Loretta L 18 months ago from Chilterns, UK.

Yow!
Not for me. But I'm glad you enjoyed it. I might enjoy paragliding, but
not jumping out of planes. My husband did it once and thoroughly
enjoyed it though

Elle-Dee-Esse 18 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

Thanks billybuc, brave or stupid? Not sure which

billybuc 18 months ago from Olympia, WA Level 8 Commenter

Bravo to you. I have had the chance and wouldn't do it, and I've climbed mountains before...so well done!

Elle-Dee-Esse 18 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

My age at the time explains a lot

Elle-Dee-Esse 18 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

It was definitely awesome! And I definitely won't be doing it again!

beliza 18 months ago

Amazing story. I would be so afraid to do this.

MelRootsNWrites 18 months ago from California Level 1 Commenter

I'm
guessing there won't be a third jump? LOL You are incredibly brave! I
don't think you'd be able to get me to do it once let alone twice.
Must have been an awesome experience though.

Elle-Dee-Esse 18 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

It's one of these things - glad I gave it a go and I'll never do it again but I'm also much older now

Pawpawwrites 18 months ago from Kansas

I want to, but I just can't make myself jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Kudos to you though. Very cool.

Elle-Dee-Esse 18 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

You're welcome and thank you. I'm so glad you enjoyed it

RonElFran 18 months ago from Mechanicsburg, PA Level 5 Commenter

You
are performing a great public service, here. For all of us who crave
the excitement of skydiving, but are too chicken to actually do it,
thanks for allowing us to experience it vicariously.

pkmcruk 19 months ago from Cheshire UK

Brilliant that you did it Lynne but not one me!

Elsie Hagley 19 months ago from New Zealand Level 4 Commenter

I
for one will never do this, but I admire you for doing it and writing
about your experience, I can understand if you never do it again. Happy
times writing.

Glorymiller 19 months ago from USA

I'm not going to be rushing out to do this anytime soon. Thanks for sharing your experience.

favored 19 months ago from USA

I
don't know whether to cheer you on or scold you for letting them talk
you into a second jump. No way would I ever do this, but think you're
pretty cool for it. Does that make sense?

SusannaDuffy 19 months ago from Melbourne Australia

I
think the parachuting lessons would kill any desire in me for
skydiving. As soon as "how fast you plummet" hit the conversation, I'd
be out the door

LNAngel 19 months ago from Florida

I don't know if I could ever bring myself to pull the trigger, but good for you! :)

lawineaux 19 months ago

My
most extreme thing was horseback riding. One time our horses took off
and started galloping across a meadow. My friends and I hung on for dear
life. It was pretty exhilarating. The group behind us wasn't so lucky.
One woman fell off her horse. I'm not sure I could jump out of a plane.
Gliding is more my style.

Heather426 19 months ago from Wexford, Ireland

not going to try this but yay for you!

mumsgather 19 months ago

I
think I might have been able to do it when I was younger. now, I think
my heart will probably jump right out if I were to do it. Haha. kudos to
you!

groovyfind 19 months ago from Columbia Mo

The first jump is always the scariest!

Elle-Dee-Esse 19 months ago from Blue Mountains Australia Author

I think I was young and (almost) fearless! I don't see myself ever doing it again

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